Lamp.



W. CHURCHILL.

LAMP.

' APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6,

PATENTED APR. 23, 1907.

UNITED srnrns PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM CHURCHILL, OF CORNING, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CORNING I GLASS WORKS, OF CORNING, NEW YORK.

ALAMP.. R

Specification of Letters l a tent. I

Patented April 23, 1907.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, -W1LL1AM CHURCHILL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Corning, in the county of Steuben and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is more particularly applicable to automobile lamps although it may be employed with other types, as those for railroad, marine and general purposes using kerosene, acetylene gas, electricity, or other means of illumination.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view partly in sectionof an oil lamp of conventional type with which my invention is incorporated. Figs. 2 and 3 show cross sectional views of the lens detached. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show front views of modifications in the shape of the lens.

IIeretofore, especially in lamps for automobiles, it has been customary where a lens.

or bulls eye is employed to mount it in a tube, support or reflector of di ameter greater than that of the lens, using for this pu ose inwardly-extending struts or wires to w ich the annulus encircling the lens is secured,-

and to use in addition. a plain glass set in'the rim or outer portion of said tube, support or reflector. The object of such old construction is to permit the ready observation of the light or flame, to produce a wide area of illumination, and to allow the lamp whenremoved to cast some white light at a wide angle on the front of the car mechanism, etc.

- These and other objects I attain by providing as one article or integral structure a lens having a refracting portion and a plain outer portion or flange, the latter constituting a window as hereinafter described. I

prefer to employ as the central portion the type of lens s iown in my Patent No. 801,766,

dated Oct. 10,1905. v

j The refracting portion of my structure is shown by. 4 and the plain portion exterior to the outer zone by 5. In Figs- 1, and-2 the lain circular portion 5 is shown in a straight line taken on a diametrical section through the lens, while in Fig. 3 the part 5 is placed at a forwardly-projecting angle. In each case the edge of the plain portion 5 fits the supporting annulus 6 of the forwardly enlarging reflector and by each form equivalent results are produced that is to say, the full effect of the bulls eye, signal glass or semaphore lens is secured, while the cxteri or plain I portion 5 admits of the ready observation of the flame, and enables some light to be cast at a wide angle forward'of the lai-np,-and when the lamp is removed allows sullicient li ht to iermit ins'iection of any )art of the h I l l machine.

That portion of the body of the lamp in which thelens is mountedconstituting a reflector, a portion of the light from the flame is directly projected through the flange or window 5 in parallel beams, this reflect or being used in connection with the reflector or reflecting surface, if used, in the rear of the and thereby a divergence of the rays passing through it considerably increased. Thus a wider field of illumination at any given distance is secured than is possibe with previous constnictionsknown to me, and at thesame time the rcfracting portion is brought near to the body of the lamp which, from the lamp makerspoint of view, is an advantage.

I am aware that heretofore a lens has been .used comprising a central refracting portion with an exterior plain portion having the same curvature as that of the refracting pertion; and also that heretofore a lens has p been devisedhaving a flat plain surrounding portion flush with the plain back of the refracting part. But I am not aware that in any lamp prior to my invention has been used a lens having a eentralconcavo-convex refracting portion and a surrounding plain and straight part which, as seen in diametrical section of the lens, is forward of the rear line or plane of said refracting portion.

I am also aware that a semaphore lens has been heretofore constructed with a short or narrow flat or other-exterior flange adapted to fit a supporting ring but such a lens (liffers from my invention in which is employed the broad exterior plain and straight surface or flange 5 fitted to the su porting reflecting ring-permitting the read examination of the flame, and allowing a portion of the light to pass out through the plain straight surface at a wide angle, thereby greatly increasing the illuminating area. --This is mechanism of an automobile or other vehicle or structure toiwhioh it may be applied;

' .and when used with a vehicle isalso important in illuminating a wide area of the road traveled. Furthermore, the flame maybe seen through the broad -.plainand straight portion or flange 5 without distortion and its exact condition observed. The improvedlens'herein shown combined in a lamp is therefore to be difierentiated from a lens provided with a flange simply as a means ofattachment to a lamp or lantern frame, and which flange is concealed by said frame.

My invention is susceptible of various modifications. Thus instead, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, of arranging-the Window 5 concentrically with .the refracting portion it may be eccentric'thereto as shown in Fig. 4. The window also instead of; being circular may be square or of other polygonal-shape as shown in'Figs. 5 and 6.

-My invention is adapted to lamps of the larger or smaller sizes for all purposes, and I do not restrict myself to any form of lamp orlantern, as one of any suitable character may be combined with the lens described.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim z- 1 1. Combined with a lamp or lantern a lens in which are embodied a concavo-convex re-x iracting portlon and an integral plam and straight. flange or window exterior thereto,

said "flange or window being wholly forward" straight flange or window exterior thereto,

said flange or Window being wholly forward of the rear line orpla'ne'of said-rei'raoting portion and parallel thereto, .iribstantially as set forth. 1

'. In testimony whereof Iaflix my signature in presence oftwowitnesses.

WILLIAM CHURCHILL. 

